Occupy London 24/02/2012

February 25, 2012

Yesterday afternoon Tammy , (do you remember Tammy Samade our named defendant?) put out a call for flowers and candles to accompany an all-night vigil she intended to make on the steps of St. Paul’s. I took in white tulips and nightlights and, around 11pm we gathered with her, and did some singing. Most of us didn’t last very long !

Tammy stayed up all night and, when I went in this morning, she was still there. Yes, it was a comparatively mild night, but still, she had just a sleeping bag. She said she had a wonderful night and had spoken to lots of people. Her statement was about “Free Speech’, with particular reference to the Middle East.

At 7.30am ‘a cleric’ (Tammy’s words) came out and told her to move off the steps. She explained that she was conducting a prayerful vigil for free speech, she has always, including to the cathedral, self-described as a Christian. He said ” You can’t just say prayers and have vigils anywhere you like you know”. She apparently told him to get the police to move her off and, again in her words, “There was a stand-off for about 20 minutes, then he went away”.

Giles Fraser was at Occupy tonight. I relayed the story to him, and Tammy filled in details. He has promised to bring it up – I hope on ‘Thought for the Day’ which he does on Radio 4 quite regularly.

Honestly – you couldn’t make it up could you?

This is a not very flattering picture of Tammy, who just has to be the elephant in the room, both for the church and for the whole system she so passionately, straightforwardly and honestly challenges.